Jeff Long’s Letter to the Fans

BY ANDRES FOCIL

November 6, 2009Dear Razorback Fans:Welcome back to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium for today’s game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the South Carolina Gamecocks. It is always exciting when the Razorback Nation can come together to cheer on Coach Bobby Petrino and the Razorback football team.It is a busy time on campus for many of our programs. With so many things happening in our program, it can sometimes be difficult to keep up with everything going on. Keeping our fans up to date on the latest news and information is a priority for our department. To that end, we have created a number of opportunities for you to follow all 19 of our sports using the latest technology. I know many of you are regulars on our web site at ArkansasRazorbacks.com. Our web site continues to be at the center of our dialogue with the Razorback fans. Since September 1, more than 700 stories, previews, game notes and other information pieces have been posted online along with over 1,100 photos and other custom images. In addition, over 200 pieces of multimedia, including live video streams, road game live audio, press conferences and interviews have been produced exclusively for RazorVision. One of the new features that I have enjoyed being a part of is the “Ask the A.D.” segment. Razorback fans have submitted questions on a variety of topics ranging from our policy on publishing future schedules to the possibilities of adding new sport programs in the future. I am impressed by the number of quality questions we get on a weekly basis from our fan base. It further proves to me that the Razorback fans are interested in every aspect of our program. Be sure to visit our home page to see past episodes of “Ask the A.D.” and for your opportunity to submit a question. If your question is selected, you will receive a specially designed T-shirt.I hope many of you are following our program and our coaches on Twitter. Whether it is the official athletic department Twitter feed (@ArkRazorbacks) or my personal feed (@JeffLongUA) this real-time direct communication with our fans allows us the opportunity to do some new and exciting things. When our baseball team won the NCAA Super Regional at Tallahassee, Fla., last June, we were able to communicate to our fans what time the team would be returning to Northwest Arkansas. As a result, Coach Dave Van Horn and his team received a raucous welcome back from a large group of assembled Razorback fans. So make sure you sign up for all the latest Twitter feeds including news and information from @RazorbackRoad, @RazorbackRules and @RazorFoundation. You can also follow a number of our head coaches including men’s basketball coach John Pelphrey (@JohnPelphrey), women’s basketball coach Tom Collen (@CoachTomCollen), swimming and diving coach Jeff Poppell (@JeffPoppell) and volleyball coach Robert Pulliza (@RobertPulliza).Thanks to the rabid Razorback following, our recently released iPhone app (iHog) quickly became one of the most often downloaded sports applications in the nation. The athletic department’s Facebook page (facebook.com/ArkansasRazorbacks) is another online resource for information on upcoming events and promotions. And of course there is still old-fashioned e-mail if you want to get in touch with us. You can submit a question or comment simply by clicking on the contact us tab at the bottom of ArkansasRazorbacks.com. The Razorback fans are a vital part of our program and we want to hear from you. But now it is time to hear from you in a more traditional way. As we near kickoff, I encourage you to get on the edge of your seats and get ready to “Call those Hogs.” Thanks for your support and enjoy the game. Go Hogs!Jeff LongVice Chancellor and Director of Athletics